


You'll Be So Good For Me

by poppetawoppet



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-24
Updated: 2009-10-24
Packaged: 2017-10-26 17:36:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/286060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poppetawoppet/pseuds/poppetawoppet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>based off the John Mayer song "Love Song For No One"</p><p>Special thank you to <span><a href="http://pinkygoldfish.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://pinkygoldfish.livejournal.com/"><b>pinkygoldfish</b></a></span>for kind words of advice about the ending and the fic in general.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	You'll Be So Good For Me

_  
Staying home alone on a Friday  
Flat on the floor looking back  
On old love  
Or lack thereof  
After all the crushes are faded  
And all my wishful thinking was wrong  
I'm jaded_

The empty room at the back of the house had the best acoustics. But that wasn't why Kris kept it empty. The whole place was one lone shabby gray couch, a closet of plaid and denim, a guitar and piles of sheet music, scattered across every room, marked up and crossed out. It had been a year since Kris had come here from Arkansas, and he had never felt the need to decorate much. The music brought him to California, so that was important.

It was Friday and his next door neighbor was having another party. Kris never complained, because the noise meant there was someone else in his life, even if Kris had never met the man. Sometimes he would sit against the wall to feel the pulsing music, to listen to the snatches of laughter and conversation. Kris supposed it made him pathetic and lonely, but then again  maybe he was.

He rubbed his ring finger, where there should have been a ring, if he had gone through with the wedding. He had proposed because it had seemed the right thing, because deep down inside he believed he loved Katy. But the further they got, the more he found that he loved her, but he was with her because he could be, not because he wanted to be.

She had taken the news quite well, nodding in understanding. "Kris you need to do what's good for _you_."

So he had packed a bag and come here. Ironically, Alexis, his landlord reminded of him of Katy, in that she was blond and sure of herself. She had asked if he minded noise. He had said no. So he was sharing a condo with a party animal.

He had steady work at a local bar, both singing and learning to bar tend. It wasn't what he _really_ wanted to do with his life, but he was actually content. In Arkansas something hadn't been quite right. Here, he was closer, ever so closer to feeling home.

Kris wasn't _not_ social. He had hung out with his coworkers several times. His boss, David, was very laid back, and encouraged his employees to be friends. Kris liked them all. David kind of reminded him of himself, except a thousand times more confident. Megan reminded him of Katy (surprise! What girl didn't?), except a thousand times less sure of herself. Matt… Matt reminded him of Charles, except more talented and slightly more desperate for attention. But even with them, something wasn't quite there.

Listening to the beat pour through the drywall, Kris lay down on his couch, closed his eyes, and wondered if tomorrow would be any different, if tomorrow would bring any change.

*

 _I'm tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
So tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
Get here_

Adam sighed as he shut the door behind the last of the revelers. He wasn't sure how he had gotten conned into hosting parties every Friday, and yet every Friday he let all of his friends back in. He shook his head, picking up the remnants of clothes and bottles and knowing he would just get the glitter out of his couch in time for next Friday. Brad would say it was pointless to clean, but Adam had to have some control of his own home.

Plus with his day job, anyone could drop by, and the last thing he needed was his boss to see was glitter on his couch. Mr. Sarver was a pretty cool guy, but Adam hadn't quite changed him that much. When he had first met Michael, Adam had recognized the typical Christian disdain on his face. But slowly, in their work together, they had both learned a little something from one another.

Adam liked his job for the most part, even if it required him to wear a suit from time to time and act somewhat normal. He was working in music, and that's what was important. He had built a custom studio in his half of the basement of the condo, and spent his days fixing tracks, remixing, and editing other people's music. It wasn't what he had intended when he moved here, but it paid the bills.

Add in that he had Fridays to be completely himself, and his life was good. Mostly. He hadn't been in a relationship in years, but after his heart had been broken, a break was the best thing that could have ever happened to him. The break is what got him his job, his home, everything he had right now.

He sprawled across his bed, smiling at the one lone picture on his wall that remained from his old life. It was kind of stupid, really, but it was his family, all grinning like fools, the last time Adam really remembered feeling completely happy.

It wasn't like there wasn't opportunity for companionship; Adam knew there were plenty of people he could be in a relationship with. But it would be the same cycle he had had with Brad, and that had been unhealthy enough to last Adam _three_ lifetimes.

It was just that sometimes, he felt like there should be someone walking through his door, someone who would look at the picture on the wall and the man in the bed and see the same person.

Sometimes in the late afternoon, while he was on lunch break, he would lean his ear against the wall and listen to his next door neighbor singing. He had never met the guy: their schedules always seemed opposite of one another. But Adam wanted to meet him. Anyone who could sing about heartache and sound like they meant it was well worth meeting. Though Adam would be embarrassed to let the neighbor know he had been listening in at all.

He closed his eyes, wishing somehow that fairy tales were true, and that his Prince Charming was on his way.

*  
 _Searching all my days just to find you  
I'm not sure who I'm looking for  
I'll know it  
When I see you  
Until then, I'll hide in my bedroom  
Staying up all night just to write  
A love song for no one  
I'm tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
So tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here_

Adam didn't come to _Anthemic_ much, mostly because it was too boring for most of his friends. But the owner was really cool, and the open mic night attracted a lot of talent. So Adam used it as both a recruiting opportunity as well as a chance to sing for himself for once.

Adam didn't recognize the man at the mic, except for he wore what was the bar uniform: black shirt, khakis and scuffed leather shoes. Adam wondered when David had hired a new staff person, but then he realized it was possible they had just not crossed paths. Brad tugged on his sleeve, muttering something about staring. Adam wasn't staring. Not really.

Until a clear voice filled the room, singing the latest hit dance song in a way Adam had never imagined it. This singer, whoever he was, had a sly smile, his head grooving with the music, every emotion laid bare on the stage. Adam had to check himself to make sure his mouth hadn't dropped open. Who was this and where did he come from?

There was something familiar about the voice, but he couldn't quite place it. Before Adam could figure it out, the song was over and the crowd applauded. A young woman headed onstage, but Adam's eyes followed the man, watching as he laughed with David. Adam's heart skipped a little when a pair of beautiful brown eyes scrunched up in pure joy.

But before Adam could move, Alisan shook him, telling him to pay more attention. By the time he could sneak a glance, the mysterious singer was gone. Adam was disappointed, he would have loved to pick the other man's brain about music.

Then he got onstage, showing the scattered crowd that he was Adam Lambert, and they needed to listen. Deep down though, he wondered if he could ever be so talented enough as to elicit the kind of excitement he had felt in hearing that one voice.

Later after he got home he sat in the studio, writing words no one would hear, singing melodies softly to the empty room, wishing just for one moment that he was writing for something. For someone.

*

Kris grinned as the audience applauded. He carefully put his guitar away. "Guess that's the end of my shift, boss," he said.

"Wait just a minute. You've just turned a electronic/fuse track into a pop/rock ballad and totally blew everyone out of the water, and all you can say is 'that's the end of my shift, boss'?"

Kris shrugged. "Well it is."

David looked at him and sighed. "One of these days you are going to realize how talented you are and then I'm going to say I knew him when."

"Yeah, right," Kris rubbed his neck. "I'm out, okay?"

"Not going to stay for the rest of open mic night?"

"Maybe next time."

He passed by a table. He had seen them enter the room right before he got onstage: all leather and laughter. Except for one. Kris's eyes had kept going back to a pair of blue eyes and a silver suit. Somehow, the whole time he was singing, it was if there was only that one person in the room. Of course Kris dismissed it, because he had been hoping for something to click in his life for so long that it couldn't possibly be real. They were watching Kelly now, so Kris felt safe to walk out, even though he felt as if someone were watching him leave.

He had already walked out the door when he remembered he had forgotten his phone. For a moment he didn't want to go back because he was somewhat afraid he wouldn't want to leave again. That he would find himself embarrassed and staring at someone.

When he walked back in, Kris saw that the man was onstage, his hair gleaming with a soft streak of dark blue, the lights playing rainbows off of his suit. Kris stood back for a moment, his heart leaping when the man began to sing. It wasn't fair that anyone should be that talented and that beautiful. Kris couldn't move though, watching the man own every person in the bar for just four minutes, then watched as his whole persona changed. Sitting with his friends, the man had softened, his eyes alight with joy. Kris pulled himself away, wondering if he would ever measure up to someone like that.

He arrived home, his head full of self-destructing thoughts. He sat at his piano, playing random chords, singing lyrics of loss and love. When he went to sleep that night, his dreams were blue and black and silver.

*

 _I could have met you in a sandbox  
I could have passed you on the sidewalk  
Could I have missed my chance  
And watched you walk away?  
Oh no way_

Kris stared at the business card, unsure of what to do with it.

"WHAT?" Matt yelled. "What you do with it is go find this guy. If it's for real, then you might have that shot you've been looking for."

"I just—"

"Kris. You've been wandering around your life for almost a year now. Now go do something with it."

*

Kris found himself in one of those tall buildings with a million windows and no soul, waiting in an office. The sign said _19 Entertainment_ but Kris wasn't stupid. These people ran American Idol. They wouldn't want anyone like him.

Except maybe they did. There was a table of suits, telling him they had heard he was interesting, would like a demo at the end of the week. Kris doesn't pay attention to all the details—they’ve handed him a packet with what exactly they wanted. His eyes wandered the room; found the only set worth looking into. It was the man from the night before. Had he given the card to David?

Kris saw the short nod from the man before turning back to the big boss, and Kris smiled as he shook everyone's hands.

"Adam."

 _Adam_ Kris rolled the name across his thoughts, glad that someone who looked so complicated had such a simple name.

"Kris."

Their hands met, and Kris saw the reflection of recognition in Adam's eyes. With the simple contact, Kris knew everything he needed to about Adam, and the small pause told Kris that Adam had felt it too.

"So, I'm going to be helping you record your demo."

Kris nodded, numbly taking his hand back, aching to feel the connection again. "Yeah. I guess so."

"We should do lunch, so I can get an idea of what to expect from you."

Kris found himself accepting too easily, laughing too loudly over food he didn't want to think about. He began to discover that Adam was a deep well to be discovered, and that he wouldn't mind taking the time to find out everything he could. They ranged from music to politics down to whether or not men wearing nail polish was appropriate for church.

Kris hadn't felt this comfortable with anyone, not even Katy. Adam didn't shy away from anything, and Kris amused himself by surprising Adam with his openness and his honesty, admitting that he was in fact, bisexual.

"Really? I need to have my tuner fixed."

Kris cracked a grin."Yes, well, maybe you should get that checked then."

"Hmmm," Adam said, looking at his watch. "I have a meeting at my house. That's where we'll be recording. Here's my card."

Kris took it, his eyes widening, hysterical laughter bubbling up. Adam raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Kris shook his head. "All this time," he whispered.

" _What?_ "

Kris looked up. "So I took the bus here, and I was wondering if you would give me a ride, since we live so close to one another."

"We do?"

Kris nodded. "You have no idea."

The look on Adam's face when he realized that they were in fact, next door neighbors was worth the frustrated silence in the car.

Kris was embarrassed as Adam watched him open the door to his house, remembering that he didn't really have a home, just a place he wrote music. He turned at the door, waiting for Adam to laugh and walk away.

"Interesting decorations," Adam said drily. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Kris nodded. "Yeah."

Adam turned at the door, and they stared for a moment, almost moving forward as the rest of their lives had been doing, but the phone rang, and the moment was lost.

 _I'm tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here  
I'm so tired of being alone  
So hurry up and get here oh yeah  
You'll be so good  
You'll be so good for me _

"You know I always thought you had a good voice"

Kris looked at Adam. "What?"

Adam tilted his head. "I hear you sometimes."

"Oh."

The silence spanned forever, and Adam realized that he's admitted to listening through the walls. His eyes never left Kris's; waiting for him to say it was creepy, waiting to be rejected.

"I have to admit," Kris said, rubbing his neck, "Sometimes I listen to your parties."

Adam smiled. "Yeah, sorry about those."

"No, I like the noise. It gets too quiet here."

"Yeah."

The rest of the afternoon was spent on music, Adam sitting contently as Kris sang a few of his own songs, and then insisting Kris add the cover from the bar. Kris asked him why he wasn't singing yet.

"Because I'm not ready. I almost tried out for American Idol you know. But my job kind of put the kibosh on that. I already work for the man. But, I'm turning my demo in I really am."

"I'm going to hold you to that."  
   
Adam looked at Kris, who smiled, and motioned for Adam to continue the work. They ripped through five more songs, the music flowing as easily as the conversation.

When the last note ended, Adam saw that Kris was staring at him. He wanted to speak, to say something witty, something appropriate. But his mouth was dry. He had noticed it all morning. Kris would stop and stare as if Adam were the only thing worth looking at.

It was disconcerting, considering Kris was the beautiful one, Kris was the—

Adam stopped himself, because Kris had put down his guitar and was walking his way. Kris didn't say anything. He laid his hand on Adam's cheek, tilting his head up. Kris leaned down, brushing kisses down Adam's cheek, one on the lips. He paused, taking Adam's hand in his own, warmly pressing the palm to his mouth, as if marking a stamp there. _Mine_ Kris's eyes said, and Adam shivered.

He pulled Kris into his lap, trying to forget that he had never known him until two days ago, trying to forget that he had never had anyone like this in his life before.

He spent the rest of his life doing so.

  



End file.
